Typically in your child's junior year in high school, she will begin to plan for college. This is a very important time in every student's academic career and there are many paths she can take. The main rite of passage for children coming out of high school and going into college is the standardized test taking process. Students can take the ACT and the SAT if they wish, but the tests are very different from one another, and you and your child will want to determine which test is most appropriate.

The ACT test generally tests on content. Your child will be asked questions and her answers will test how much knowledge she has acquired in high school. The questions on the ACT are direct and ask for scientific reasoning, reading, mathematics, and English. Your child will solve problems and answer questions and her score will reflect her abilities in comprehending, reasoning and computing.

The SAT test is more abstract. The questions are designed to test your child's problem-solving and reasoning ability and critical thinking skills. She will read questions and then try to determine the answer that the test is looking for. She will also be asked questions based on reading comprehension, vocabulary, and mathematics.

Neither the SAT or ACT is better than the other, but one of the two tests will probably be more suitable for your child.

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